Ahmetović: Plenković Called People in Lika Idiots
After the PM's statement on the waste scandal, the SDP MP accuses him of blaming the opposition and citizens for spreading panic, rather than those responsible for years of illegal dumping.
After the PM's statement on the waste scandal, the SDP MP accuses him of blaming the opposition and citizens for spreading panic, rather than those responsible for years of illegal dumping.
After Prime Minister Andrej Plenković held a meeting of the Inner Cabinet and the parliamentary majority on Tuesday about the pressing illegal waste scandal in Lika, his statement to the media drew sharp criticism from SDP MP Mirela Ahmetović. In a post carried by Index.hr, Ahmetović claimed that the PM, with his address, had "declared the people in Lika who have voted for him for years to be idiots."
At Banski dvori, the PM said he understands the opposition's moves, asserting they are using the current situation for media attention. "I fully understand the opposition. In the past few weeks, they've seen polls and public opinion surveys where trends have shifted, so they're using this situation to regain some kind of media attention," Plenković said.
He also stressed that "the opposition and some other actors are trying to score political points from all these topics and spread panic among the residents of Gospić and the entire Lika-Senj County through disinformation." On his Twitter profile, he summarized the key messages from the meeting: "The criminal proceedings are ongoing, remediation is being accelerated, and the coalition is stable, with everyone wanting the harshest sanctions for the perpetrators of these crimes."
Ahmetović broke down the PM's statement into three messages. The first, she says, is that the opposition is hysterical and to blame for creating panic, while at the same time "people in Gospić are afraid to drink the water, and HDZ structures have known about the waste being brought in for years." The second message, she believes, is Plenković's emphasis on coalition stability, commenting that she expected nothing less from "HDZ's coalition dwarfs" because "their seats matter more than people's health."
The third point concerns the announcement that the Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH) will inform the public every three days about the safety of water in Lika. In this regard, Ahmetović reminded that the institute is headed by "the notorious Krunoslav Capak, who once gave Hrebak a COVID pass to vote in Plenković's government."
"Plenković showed today that he is no longer capable of leading this society; this is a breaking point for the preservation of Croatia," the SDP MP said.
This is a case that USKOK opened back in 2025, launching an investigation against Josip and Monika Šincek and other suspects. Over time, the investigation expanded to new locations of illegal dumping of vast amounts of waste, including Gospić, Štikada, and Lički Osik, as well as to additional individuals.
While institutions work to address the environmental threat, political rhetoric is escalating, and the local population is living in uncertainty over water quality and long-term health consequences.
